Release Date: Oct. 13, 2023

Director: Sam Wrench

Our Rating: A+

Those unable to get tickets for Taylor Swift’s monumental “Eras Tour” recently had a second chance to experience one of the biggest pop culture moments of the year, thanks to the release of a movie documenting the concert. Filmed at Los Angeles’ SoFi stadium, on one of the last nights of the tour’s American leg, the movie is currently at the top of the box office and has already grossed $31 million in its second week. The film highlights all of Swift’s strengths as a performer and cements her legacy as the most ubiquitous artist of the 21st century.

The movie follows Swift throughout each era of her career, from her breakout country album “Fearless” to the pop juggernaut “1989”. The show was perfectly paced throughout, in part because Swift wisely chose to forgo chronological order. Performing “Folklore” and “Evermore,” her two indie albums, in between her more upbeat bangers rather than back-to-back allowed those two records to shine individually.

The film itself was shot expertly, creating a truly immersive experience. Frequent closeups on Swift made the audience feel like she was singing just for them, and the movie often felt like a private concert. The contrast between the bombastic pop of “Reputation” and the softer intimacy of the acoustic set was striking and showcased Swift’s unique versatility; she can captivate an audience through powerful stage presence, but also through emotional expression and vulnerability.

“Each era had a graphic edited on to it at the beginning, and Reputation’s was a hyperrealistic snake tail that slithered around the stage. It was definitely the most impactful image of the eras. On top of this, the sound really resonated all around the auditorium, bringing an energy that stood apart from the other eras,” senior Steffi Sarmiento Mena said.

Sam Wrench’s directorial choices demonstrated the intense connection Swift has with her fans. The camera often panned to concertgoers, who were seen crying, singing their hearts out or screaming fandom chants at the top of their lungs. This communal and festive atmosphere made crowds across North American theaters want to join in the fun, and many fans sang and danced in their seats and in the aisles. While this may have been distracting at times, it ultimately created a collective sense of joy.

“The movie was so fun to watch. We could see everything that was happening really well. The fact that people of all ages were singing along to the songs was super cool,” senior Daniela Pajón said.

Some song omissions from the setlist to keep the movie’s runtime under three hours were shocking, such as “cardigan,” but most made sense and kept viewers engaged. However, “The Archer” serves as a nice transition between the “Lover” and “Fearless” sets and deserved to make an appearance; it could have been swapped with “You Need to Calm Down,” a weaker song. Wrench and Swift’s decision to omit behind-the-scenes content was also surprising, but the inclusion of Swift’s conversations with the L.A. crowd made sure that the film captured her charm and love for her fans.

One standout moment was “willow,” in which Swift performs hypnotizing choreography that lives up to the song’s witchy atmosphere. “Betty” and “the last great american dynasty” were also very well filmed; the former illustrates the intricate detail of the lovely “Folklore” cabin, and the latter deftly utilizes Swift’s backup dancers to tell the story of her infamous Rhode Island mansion. The production design throughout the entire concert was impeccable, and the camera zooms in plenty of times to convey the attention to detail present in each set piece.

“I never took ‘Evermore’ as an album that was supposed to be performative and grand, but that’s exactly what willow was! The costumes, the props, the extended version of the instrumentals in the song and the choreography were all so beautiful and whimsical,” senior Moon Anderson said.

However, the most consistently excellent era was “Reputation,” which fully delivered on the campy theatrics that made Swift’s 2018 tour of that album so legendary. But Swift goes above and beyond in her rendition of this record’s highlights, perfectly belting each high note and maintaining commendable stamina as she moves around the stage without missing a beat. The transition between “Don’t Blame Me” and “Look What You Made Me Do” was greatly executed, and the latter number was the most entertaining part of the era, as Swift interacted with backup dancers dressed as her former selves.

“I think that closing the show with ‘Midnights’ was perfect. The purple lighting was so wonderful during that set and the outfits were beautiful in general,” senior Daniela Pajón said.

The credits were also a nice touch, featuring a bloopers montage and a sweet message in which Swift thanked her fans, staff and backup dancers. The film translated the live experience onto the big screen very well, and it is essential viewing for anyone from a casual fan to the most loyal Swiftie.

This story was originally published on CavsConnect on October 18, 2023.